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Reinvigorating Femcare Products

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Clockwise L-R: Callaly, Dame, Mcycle

The social stigma surrounding female menstruation is evolving as progressive start-ups, brands and designers dare to confront social taboos. We examine the brands stepping in with body-positive marketing campaigns and sustainable solutions to capitalise on an enthusiastic market of women seeking new alternatives.

UK start-up Dame has created a reusable applicator tampon made from a self-cleaning antimicrobial material. Combining medical-grade materials that naturally sterilise the device, the applicator remains safe and hygienic after multiple uses. Featuring a smooth semi-gloss finish and shaped to suit the contours of the body, Dame is designed to be comfortable and easy to control.

Similarly, new UK femcare brand Callaly has created the Tampliner. Offering the functions of both a tampon and a panty liner, the Tampliner promises greater absorbency to give users better peace of mind. Co-founded by gynaecologist Dr Alex Hooi, Callaly is the culmination of years of working with, and listening to, the frustration of women who don’t feel adequately protected with existing product.

Also from the UK, graduate Kaye Toland developed Mcycle, a tampon delivery service concept that transforms tampons into compost. Mcycle proposes a system where organic tampons are delivered to subscribers by bicycle. After use, the tampon’s packaging can be used as a bin that is later collected and composted in non-food soil.

Amager Resource Center: Urban Ski Slope on Waste Plant

From autumn 2018, Copenhagen's waste-to-energy plant Amager Resource Center (ARC) will include a year-round artificial rooftop ski slope, a hiking hill and a climbing wall for local residents.

Originally opened in March 2017, the waste facility is considered the cleanest and most efficient incineration plant in the world. Usually, such waste-management plants are kept outside cities or well hidden. ARC, however, will become a destination in its own right. Designed by Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group, the building's new features will include a grove of 30 trees, the world's tallest climbing wall and a 600-metre ski slope on top of its slanted roof. The surrounding area will provide further recreational facilities, such as soccer fields, a go-kart track and water sports.

ARC brings Copenhagen one step closer to becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2025. It powers 62,500 homes and provides 160,000 households with hot water, while emitting 100,000 fewer tonnes of carbon dioxide than the city's previous plant.

As part of the new design additions, the plant will emit carbon dioxide smoke in the form of giant rings for each 250kg of the gas produced. The smoke rings will be visible from most of Copenhagen and are expected to raise awareness about the scale of air pollution that's produced, even in a plant with huge efficiency measures. It's an attempt to help people become more aware of the waste they produce in their daily lives.

Packaging Innovations 2018

Sustainability was top of the agenda at Birmingham’s Packaging Innovations trade show (February 28 to March 1), with some of the UK’s leading retailers making emphatic pledges to become plastic-free and eliminate waste in as little as five years. Impressive start-ups showcased the latest in sustainable packaging solutions, while designers gave a lesson on tactility through e-commerce packaging.

Environmental Promise: The emphasis on sustainable packaging comes in the midst of Theresa May’s January unveiling of the British government’s 25-year environmental plan. The prime minister has committed to eliminating all avoidable plastic waste by 2042 – a problem she describes as “one of the biggest environmental scourges of our time”.

Last month, in collaboration with British environmental action group A Plastic Planet, Dutch supermarket group Ekoplaza Lab launched the world’s first plastic-free aisle in Amsterdam. It features nearly 700 organic products across fresh fish and meat, fruit and vegetables and ambient offerings such as tea and cereals, packaged instead in compostable biomaterials.

Schofield explained that after 40 years in the industry, the tide is turning and there’s now a need to move back to natural materials and explore plastic alternatives. The supermarket chain has already saved over 2,000 tonnes of materials by simply reverting back to pulp cartons instead of polystyrene on two of its egg lines.

The sustainable packaging application “looks like plastic, performs like plastic, but is made from nature’s very own raw material – cellulose”, explained VTT research scientist Anna Tenhunen. The layered mono-material design makes the product fully recyclable without impacting shelf-life. The solution – to be developed in partnership with M&S – will initially be targeted at long-shelf-life goods such as nuts, coffee, chocolates and pet food.

Tackling hard-to-recycle coffee cups – 50 billion of which end up in landfills each year in the US alone – Californian runner-up ReCup has developed a mineral-based barrier coating that makes the entire cup easily recyclable. Meanwhile, London-based Cup Club showcased the world’s first reusable takeaway coffee-cup system which includes smart cups, drop off points and high-tech wash hubs.

Luxury E-tail: There was an emphasis on the importance of replicating the in-store, full sensory experience through clever use of e-commerce packaging. “If you’re a digital business, it’s the only physical touchpoint,” reminded London-based luxury creative consultant Vincent Villeger.

Villeger, designer of Burberry’s luxury e-commerce packaging, explains how the brand worked to emulate the precise texture of its iconic trench coat for its e-tail boxes. Textures, sounds – such as crispy tissue paper – and even smells can connect with the customer, giving them the full holistic experience. However, in a retail space where digital is racing to the top of the agenda, traditional brands are struggling to get it right. “You don’t have to do a lot at the moment to stand out,” Villeger said.

Digital companies like UK start-up Packhelp are on hand to help new and small businesses create bespoke packaging to do just that – with an easy-to-use platform and augmented reality app. For more, see Packaging Futures 17/18: Luxury.

One Shared House: Co-Living in 2030

One Shared House 2030 supposes a future of augmented urban developments and housing shortages in 2030, to which co-living arrangements could be an effective response. The survey asks participants what type of people they would like to live with, what spaces and amenities they would be willing to share, and what they believe would be the positives of living in a communal settlement.

The findings show that overall, people would prefer to live in the city with individuals from all walks of life. Four to 10 is the ideal number of people in the community and ideally, all members would enjoy equal ownership of the house.

Participants are open to sharing, particularly regarding use of the internet, garden and workspaces. However, the boundaries between public and private spaces are important, with the majority wanting their private space to be unfurnished and off limits when they are not present.

Despite a common concern about the potential lack of privacy, interviewees acknowledged the benefits of co-living environments, citing socialising and reduced living costs as the two greatest benefits.

Progressive Fashion: February Round-Up

From adopting a more charitable outlook to promoting the beauty of body ‘imperfections’, the fashion industry has finally started to wake up to informed consumers’ expectations.

Here’s a round-up of our favourite progressive initiatives from the past month, which other brands would do well to learn from.

London-based brand Ninety Percent is rewriting the rules of business by prioritising people over profit. The responsibly made womenswear label – founded by Bangladesh clothing factory owner Shafiq Hassan – shares 90% of its profits with charitable causes and the people who make the clothing. Customers also have the option of voting for the causes they wish to support.

Macy’s has become the latest major US retailer to launch a clothing line aimed at Muslim women. The Verona Collection – made in collaboration with Muslim influencer Lisa Vogl – consists of modest essentials including hand-dyed hijabs.

H&M continues to further its sustainable fashion credentials with its 2018 Conscious Exclusive collection, which is inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement in Sweden. The range consists of premium garments created from recycled polyester, organic linen, sustainable fabrics Tencel and Econyl, and recycled silver.

UK-based fashion retailer Missguided’s #MakeYourMark campaign, which encourages women to celebrate their physical differences, has been taken one step further with the launch of realistic in-store mannequins. The new and diverse range of mannequins will now represent an array of ethnic backgrounds and feature natural physical ‘imperfections’ including stretch marks, freckles and vitiligo.

Livin: Smart Shower Device

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Livin Shower

Californian start-up Livin has created an innovative product that aims to personalise the shower experience.

By using machine learning, cloud computing and sensor technology, the Livin Shower fixture can bring the water up to the user's preferred temperature, play their favourite music, and save these personal preferences for up to 10 members of the household.

The smart shower fixture is compatible with Amazon Echo, Google Home and Nest, which means users can just say "prepare my morning shower" and be notified when it's ready through the accompanying app. They can even have their room warmed up to prevent the after-shower chill.

Using a proprietary temperature-control algorithm, Livin reaches the specified temperature in the shortest amount of time and auto-pauses the water stream, helping to save water by reducing unnecessary flow. It also monitors water usage and displays results in the app, which could motivate people to reduce wastage.

Livin Shower's early-bird price on Kickstarter is $299 and it can be pre-ordered for $599. It is expected to start shipping in autumn 2018.

With smart home devices becoming more accessible than ever and the smart home market expected to reach $53.45bn by 2022 (Zion Market Research, 2017), we expect to see similar technology addressing more of our everyday needs.

Gucci Westman Launches Natural Brand

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Westman Atelier

American celebrity make-up artist Gucci Westman and US-based designer David Neville are launching a new colour cosmetics line that touts natural beauty values and targets a demographic aged 30 and above.

Westman Atelier will launch in April 2018 with six products, including a highlighter, blush and foundation – the essentials for creating a ‘no make-up’ look, which Westman is most known for.

Westman’s balanced approach to a healthy lifestyle has driven the brand’s ethos of “consciously crafted beauty”, whereby natural ingredients work in tandem with innovative synthetics in its formulas. As an example, the Baby Cheeks Blush Stick contains organic jojoba oil and raspberry stems that tone the skin and prevent inflammation, while the colour payoff and deluxe feel of the blush is made possible with the use of non-toxic synthetics.

The whole range harnesses an innovative sustainable pigment technology that blocks fragments of synthetic colour pigment from touching the wearer’s skin by encapsulating the molecules in clean ingredients. The brand’s launch taps into the growing trend for eco-friendly beauty labels that combine traditional raw elements with synthesised naturals to provide effective, science-backed products sustainably. For more on this, see Future Beauty: New Era Naturals.

Another distinctive selling point for the brand is its target market, which is older millennials and above. The formulas are designed to sit well on older skin, which appeals to this group’s desire to have a flawless complexion without looking overly made up. For more on mature consumers in the beauty category, see Boomer Beauty: Securing the Silver Spend and Mature Beauty: Entering a New Age.

Patagonia Links Would-Be Activists to Grassroots Groups

Reinforcing its reputation as a bold activist brand, California-based outdoor apparel label Patagonia has launched Patagonia Action Works, a micro-site that connects consumers with grassroots environmental organisations and helps them donate, volunteer or otherwise get involved.

Over the past 35 years, Patagonia has donated nearly $90m to activist groups and trained many young activists, says founder Yvon Chouinard in a video describing the new tool. Now the company is enlisting consumers as collaborators, urging them to “Sign up. Show up. Take action”.

As detailed in Retail’s Activist Brands, an activist stance is becoming an attractive brand attribute. According to a new US and UK study by global PR group Weber Shandwick, consumers have embraced ‘buycotting’ – supporting a brand by intentionally buying from it. Eighty-three per cent of respondents (all of whom were selected for being ‘consumer activists’) agreed that “it’s more important than ever to support companies that do the right thing by buycotting”, while 59% said the same about boycotting brands. The ‘buycotters’ polled had made on average 5.7 supportive purchases over the past two years.

In recent years, Patagonia has published a book called Tools for Grassroots Activists and backed activist documentaries such as 2016’s Unbroken Ground. Last year, to protest US president Trump’s scaling back of public lands in Utah, Patagonia led a successful campaign to move the Outdoor Retailer trade show away from the state (see Stylus’ event coverage). The company declared “The president stole your land" on Instagram and its website, stating it would sue Trump’s administration (see blog).

App for Alleviating Jet Lag

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Uplift

US start-up Uplift has launched an app that helps travellers alleviate jet lag naturally, according to the scientists behind the system.

Based on acupressure and neuroscience research, the app offers video tutorials showing users how to activate key points involved in setting the body's circadian rhythms. By performing a 10-minute series of exercises upon arrival, frequent travellers can hack their internal clock to remedy jet lag's draining effects.

An algorithm provides a customised wellness itinerary based on the user's points of origin and arrival, as well as their departure and arrival times. The app identifies two pressure points to press on either side of the body, with most spots located between the elbow and wrist or the knee and ankle. A timer ensures individuals perform the exercises for the correct duration.

Uplift's team of scientists and engineers trialled the service with over 600 frequent travellers, with 92% reporting that engaging acupressure points reduced or alleviated jet lag. An introductory video supplies a crash course on how to harness these pressure points, reducing human error.

The app requires an annual subscription of $9.99 to unlock unlimited access to personalised acupressure itineraries.

High-Performance Yarns for Innovative Materials

International scientists and researchers are exploiting the capabilities of nanofibres and nanotechnology to produce a new generation of high-performance yarns for clothing and protective armour.

‘Twistron’ Energy-Harvesting Yarns: A research team of scientists from the University of Texas and South Korean Hanyang University has produced energy-harvesting yarns that can generate electricity.

The high-tech yarns could be used to create self-powered materials where the use of a power source is impractical – for example, they could be employed as self-powered breathing sensors when sewn into clothes. Constructed using carbon nanotubes and coated in an electrolyte (such as a solution of salt and water), the yarn’s energy increases when stretched or twisted.

The team hopes this will eventually lead to harvesting larger amounts of energy, such as from the motion of ocean waves.

High-Strength Ultrafine Fibres: Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have developed a new technique that produces exceptionally strong and resilient nanofibres. The fibres could be used for numerous applications, such as protective armour materials and nanocomposites.

The process uses a variation of gel spinning combined with the addition of electrical forces. The team believes the new fibres can rival high-performance fibres such as Kevlar on a per-weight basis, making protective materials stronger, but less dense.

Alcohol Made from Tofu Whey

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Tofu Whey Beer

Researchers at the University of Singapore have developed the world's first alcoholic beverage made from tofu whey, a commonly wasted by-product from the tofu production process.

The drink, called sachi, is made by pasteurising whey liquid and adding sugar, acid and yeast before fermenting it for two weeks. The resulting alcoholic beverage contains an abundance of antioxidants called isoflavones and high levels of calcium, and claims to provide health benefits such as boosting bone and heart health.

Said to have a slightly sweet, floral flavour, sachi has an ABV of 8% and a shelf life of four months.

Professor Liu Shao-Quan and student Chua Jian-Yong were inspired to create the drink following a boom in tofu production in Asia as the vegetarian population on the continent grows. Liu said: "Alcoholic fermentation can serve as an alternative method to convert tofu whey into food products that can be consumed directly. Our unique fermentation technique also serves as a zero-waste solution to the serious issue of tofu whey disposal."

Unicef’s Cryptocurrency Donation Game Changer

Global children's aid organisation Unicef has launched an online tool that asks PC gamers to mine cryptocurrency to help children in war-torn Syria.

To participate, players can head to the Game Chaingers site to install software that will start generating Ethereum coins (the second highest valued cryptocurrency behind Bitcoin) and automatically send them to Unicef's electronic wallet.

The campaign specifically targets gamers because gaming PCs have the high hardware capabilities (specifically their powerful graphics cards) that make mining possible. Between gaming sessions, a high-end machine could generate the equivalent of $2-3 per day for Unicef's efforts.

Tools like Game Chaingers let consumers redirect their existing resources into positive action. These habit changes in turn create lasting awareness of the brands that enabled them to take such steps.

"What interests us is to use this cryptocurrency as a painless way to contribute," said Unicef on its website. "Through the use of mining, we create an opportunity for those who cannot give, or have never had the opportunity to do so."

Surface Design Show 2018: Highlights

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Mirrl

Held in London (February 6-8), the Surface Design Show spotlights the latest developments in laminates, conglomerates, textures and finishes across a vast array of materials from Europe’s most innovative manufacturers.

Among international heavyweights such as Finsa were many smaller brands, including start-ups, offering more experimental decorative surfaces with less-defined applications.

Here, we highlight some of the most interesting developments to emerge at the 2018 edition.

Repurposed Waste: A number of products presented at the show focused on repurposed waste material, with an eclectic mix of waste sources being translated into new surfaces.

British design studio Lucentia Design showed its Shimmer polycarbonate rigid sheeting, made from recycled car headlights. The material has a metallised silver colouring due to the metallic skin on the inside of headlight units.

The Surface Spotlight Live stand offered a collection of advanced and inspiring materials curated by international trade platform Treniq. These included Chinese studio Bentu Design’s 3D tiles that combine demolition leftovers and ceramic waste with concrete to form smooth-finished wall tiles.

Other reimagined waste materials included glass bottles, coffee, paper and yoghurt pots, transformed into a range of surface ideas.

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Lucentia Design

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Lucentia Design

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Bentu Design

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Bentu Design

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Smile Plastics

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Hannah Elisabeth Jones

Experimental Aggregates: As noted at London Design Week 2017, the trend for conglomerates and terrazzo-inspired materials continues with designers experimenting with aggregates and substrates in a variety of scales, materials and colours, offering individuality and surface intrigue.

British studio Solomon & Wu showcased Foresso, a wooden terrazzo material made using chips and curls of timber set in a colour-tinted resin binder. The latest collection includes chips of walnut and pale sycamore in a dusky pink binder and shards of oak in a deep green binder.

Dutch designer Marjolein Stappers showed Oesterplat on the Surface Spotlight Live stand. The engineered composite combines marble and concrete with oyster shells. Meanwhile, Italian company Mogu S.r.l presented its mycelium and hemp composite. Fungal mycelium acts as the binder and hemp hurds are used as an aggregate.

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D'Werkplaats

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D'Werkplaats

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Foresso

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Foresso

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Mogu S.r.l

Dynamic Colour Applications: New surface finishes and unique colour applications influenced by process or material qualities resulted in a number of exciting material products.

London-based Silo Studio showed its dyed marble with a lively application of colour that uses the material’s porosity to draw the pigment in. German designer Meike Harde’s dyed wooden surfaces feature subtle nuances and gradients of colour, achieved through a process that uses the movement of colour pigments in water to create uniquely coloured surfaces on a mass-produced scale.

UK brand Alusid, highlighted at last year’s event, showcased a series of new glaze options on its recycled waste material Silicastone, adding a tactile, high-shine quality to the surface. Meanwhile, Portuguese ceramics company Skuare79 launched a selection of striking titanium coated ceramic tiles.

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Silo Studio

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Studio Meike Harde

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Alusid

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Skuare79

Organic Pattern: Scottish start-up Mirrl launched its eponymous artisanal material at the show. The solid surface is made up of layers of different-coloured resins on a birch plywood substrate, resulting in an all-over, organic pattern reminiscent of lichen.

The technique is inspired by Japanese lacquerware, and the opacity and translucency of each colour layer can be controlled to create bespoke options. Suitable for both interior and exterior use, Mirrl can be used for worktops, bathroom surfaces and exterior wall cladding.

Austrian company Organoid presented its range of pressed organic decorative surfaces. Raw, natural materials such as hay, lavender and seed husks are mixed with an ecological binding agent and then pressed into a thin surface sheet. Leaves and flowers create decorative patterns on the surface that are complemented by the raw material’s natural smell. Natural scent is a fresh approach to bringing biophilic design into our built environments. See Living Spaces in our 2018: Colour & Materials Look Ahead for more.

Mini Rodini: 100% Sustainable Kidswear

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Mini Rodini

Swedish childrenswear brand Mini Rodini is upping its eco credentials for Spring/Summer 2018 by launching a collection made entirely from sustainable materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester.

The collection, named ‘The Earth is our Mother, we must take care of her’, puts the company’s eco achievements front and centre – boasting swimwear made from ocean waste and jackets made from recycled plastic bottles. The designs are similarly sustainably minded, featuring playful animal graphics on organic cotton basics and slogan terry sweatshirts splashed with the collection’s imperative name.

Mini Rodini is known for its commitment to sustainable practices. Each year, it releases a transparent sustainability report of targets and achievements. In 2014, it began a Living Wage programme which aims to replace the minimum wage of its factory workers with an hourly rate that covers basic needs such as food, clothing, housing, education and healthcare.

For more on the changing face of kidswear, look out for our upcoming industry report Luxury Kidswear: Boom! It will be published on February 12.

Toilets Get Humanitarian and Environmental Makeover

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L-R: Leo Schlumberger, Nendo

Following devastating earthquakes in Japan over recent years, Japanese studio Nendo has designed a toilet that can be built and used by people living in disaster zones. The kit – called minimLET – consists of seven items: a carrying bag, aluminium pipes, a toilet seat, tissues, a nylon cloth tent, garbage bags and a coagulant to neutralise waste.

Each component is multipurpose. The aluminium pipes can be used as supporting poles for the tent and as legs for the toilet seat, the nylon cloth tent doubles up as a poncho, and the kit’s bag can carry up to 16 litres of water.

MinimLET’s design even appropriates commonly found items. For example, an umbrella can be transformed into structural support for the tent, while full cans and bottles can be used as legs to raise the toilet seat.

Dutch designer Leo Schlumberger also explored the design and use of toilets for his graduation project at Design Academy Eindhoven, exhibited as part of Dutch Design Week 2017. He created a dry toilet for indoor use that kept European expectations of comfort in mind.

The toilet vessel is made from polyester, brass and steel, and it boasts a welcoming, tactile touch that reframes the household utility as a design feature. Being a dry toilet, Schlumberger’s design encourages users to be more mindful of their water usage and offers an alternative for off-grid living.